Improvement in methods of charging and managing blast-furnaces



C. HIMROD.

METHOD OF CHARGING AND MANAGING BLAST-FURNACES.

No.188,63Z. Patented March 20,1877.

NPETERS. PHOT'J-LITHOGRAPHER, wAsmNGmN. u C

UNITED STATES PATENT Q FICE.

CHARLES HIMROD, OF YOUNGSTOWN, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO HIMSELF'AND ALFRED S.BERTOLET, OF CROWN POINT, NEW YORK.

-IMPROVEMENT IN METHODS OF CHARGING AND MANAGING BLAST-FURNACES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. [88,632, dated March20, 1877 application filed December 5, 1876.

To all whom "it mayconcern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES HIMROD, of Youngstown, in the county ofMahoning and State of Ohio, have invented a new and Improved Method ofCharging and Managing Blast-Furnaces, and means for carrying out thesame; and I do hereby declare'that the following is a full, clear, andexact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanyingdrawing, forming part of this specification, in which- Figure l is avertical longitudinal section through line a: w of Fig. 2, lookingfinthe direction of the arrow; Fig. 2, a transverse section through line yy of Fig. 1.

My invention relates to an improved method of charging and managingblast-furnaces of that class in which the vertical shaft is divided bylongitudinal partitions into two or more compartments; and in the meansfor carrying out the same, whereby the wasteful production and escape ofcarbonic oxide is obviated, and the distribution of the fuel and the oreand flux of the furnace burden is more evenly secured.

1n blast-furnaces having the upper portion of the stack divided intocompartments, the ordinary method of charging is to insert the fuel inone compartment, and the ore and flux in another, with a view tocompellingthe passage of the carbonic oxide (evolved from the fuel)through the ore to effect its reduction, in which case the fuel on theone hand, and the ore and flux on the other, are always fed into thesameseries of compartments without any alternation.

An objection incident to this method exists in that the ore and fluxdisintegrate, and are reduced to a pulverulent and compact condition,more rapidly than the fuel does, and the two materials (fuel and ore)being always fed into their same compartments, respectively, theypreserve their individuality of location to such an extent as to preventthe free passage of the carbonic oxide through the mass of packeddisintegrated ore, thereby preventing the best contact of the saidcarbonic-oxide gas with the ore in its passage through the latter.

The object of my invention is to obviate this difficulty; to which endthe distinguishing characteristic of my improvement consists in feedingore and flux into one set of the compartments of thelongitudinally-divided blast-furnace, and fuel into the alternate se andat intervals reversing this mode of charging, so as to feed fuel in theore-compartments and ore into the fuel-compartments, whereby thedistribution of the two materials of the furnace-burden is so evenlyeffected by the alternate layers of the more porous fuel and the morepulverulent disintegrating ore that the tendency of the latter to packin a mass is to a large extent obviated, and the passage through the oreof the reducing car; bonie-oxide gas being facilitated, the reduction ofthe ore is made to proceed more rapidly and economically. Thecompartments each have at the top communications with a discharge orexhaust flue, which communications are so controlled by dampers that thedischarge or exhaust of the produced gases may be always taken from thecompartment in which the ore is uppermost, independently of the identityof the compartment, whereby the carbonic-acid gas which has been formedby the reduction of the ore by carbonic oxide is never decomposed at theexpense of the fuel, but leaving the ore last is immediately carriedaway.

In carrying out my invention I employ a furnace constructed like thatshown in the drawing, in which A represents a blast-furnace, the lowerpart of which is constructed according to any approved style, while theupper portion is provided with a series of compartments, B B, openingbelow in the body of the furnace, which compartments may be formed byradial partitions, as shown, or in any other suitable manner. Near thetop .of the stack, and encircling the same, is arranged a circularexhaust pipe or fine, 0, which flue communicates through the shortradial pipes D with each one of the compartments of the furnace, and ineach of which pipes D is arranged a damper, E, which opens or closescommunication between its-compartments and the exhaust-flue.

F is a platform at the top of the stack, and encircling the same, abovewhich the handles of the dampers project, so as to be easilymanipulated, and upon which platform the charging of the compartmentstakes place.

G is a continuation of the discharge-flue, which extends verticallydownward to the base-piece H, and serves to conduct away the gases ofthe furnace to be utilized in the usual well-known manner.

In making use of the furnace, as thus described, the compartments arecharged, one set (say B) with fuel, and the alternate set (B) with fluxand ore. A cover is then applied to the top of the furnace, and thedampers of the pipes, communicating with the compartment B for the ore,are opened, while the alternate ones are closed. The blast being nowapplied, the ore commences to be reduced. As soon as recharging becomesnecessary, instead of feeding more fuel into B and ore into B, thecharge of ore is fed to B, the dampers are reversed, and fuel fed to B.Thus the distinguishing characteristics of the invention rest in theparticular manner of charging the furnace, and the management of theescaping gases. By the first, each compartment of the furnace is made todo double duty as a fuel and an ore and flux conveyer, while thealternation is essential to a proper distribution of the furnace-burdenin securing the best reducing efi'ect. By the second, the generatedgases are prevented from flowing through the fuel on their way to theexit, thus obviating the objectionable action of the carbon of the fuelon the passing carbonic-acid gas, which latter, in the presence of fuel,is reduced to carbonic oxide, and in this condition is permitted toescape with only partial utilization. On the other hand, while ore andflux charges are uppermost, the flow of the gases becomes desirable,because of the calcining effect and the oxidizing action of the carbonicoxide that may be in the passing gas.

By such provisions as these afforded by my invention, it will be seenthat the amount of valuable gas escaping from the furnace approach es aminimum, while the reduction of the ore proceeds more rapidly andeconomically.

Having thus described my invention, what I c aim as new is- 1. Theherein-described method of charging and managing blast-furnaces havinglongitudinal compartments, which consists in feeding ore and flux intoone compartment, and fuel into the next, and at intervals reversing thismode of charging to distribute the furnacebnrden, the generated gasesbeing compelled to traverse the compartment in which the ore isuppermost on their way to the exit, to their entire exclusion from theone in which the fuel is uppermost, substantially as and for the purposedescribed.

2. The combination, with a blast-furnace having longitudinalcompartments, of a discharge or exhaust flue, communicating with each ofthe said compartments, near the top of the furnace, through outletsprovided each with dampers, whereby the exhaust or discharge may betaken from any of the compartments to the exclusion of the others,substantially as described, and for the purpose of carrying out themethod herein set forth.

' CHARLES HIMROD. Witnesses:

E. R. HARDING, EDWARD DoUD.

